1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to apparatus and methods for filling containers with liquid. More specifically, the present invention pertains to container filling apparatus and methods of the use thereof which are provided with a vertically disposed tubular filling lance operatively connected to a source of liquid and to a power device by which the lance may be moved between raised positions above the containers and lowered positions, when coaxially lined with a filling hole of the container, so as to extend through the filing hole and into the container for filling with liquid.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are many designs for filling containers with liquid. Some of the most successful and efficient designs are those of the type having a tubular filling lance which is operatively connected to a source of liquid and which is vertically moveable by a power device between raised and lowered positions. The lance is positioned above an opening in the container and lowered into the container for filling thereof. After the container is filled, the lance is returned to a fully raised and/or withdrawn position. For ease and efficiency of handling, two or more, frequently four, empty containers are placed on wooden pallets and moved along a conveyor to a filling station at which the filling lance is located. The filling hole closures are removed in some fashion prior to reaching the filling station. Unless the openings are oriented in some fashion prior to reaching the filling station, they will be at random locations. Even if the openings are oriented in a preselected fashion, some mechanism must be provided for moving the vertical filling lance to a coaxially aligned position with each of the fill openings so that the tubular lance may be lowered into the drum for the filing thereof. In most designs of the prior art, this requires manual direction and manipulation of the lance. Manual manipulation requires an operator and slows what might otherwise be considered an automatic operation. The present invention alleviates this problem.